Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf window we’ve got for the Kohala coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. For the first week, the trade winds are howling out of the ENE, mostly 19-22 mph, and it’s just cross or cross-onshore the whole time. The swell is mostly short-period windswell, around 7 seconds, and it’s coming from the same direction as the wind, so it’s all lumpy, choppy, and just plain messy. There’s no real quality to be found from Saturday the 8th right through until Friday the 14th. The combined swell energy is bouncing around between 235 and 344 (moderate energy), but it’s all wind-affected junk. You’re not missing anything.

Now, the real story here is what happens on the 15th of August, Saturday. The data shows a massive pulse of energy arriving. The swell height jumps to 31 ft, from the E, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s groundswell, and the combined energy is a whopping 28169 (very strong wave energy). The catch? The wind is a near-gale from the E at 34 mph, making it pure cross-shore. The model even says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. This is not a paddle surfing day – this is for the big-wave tow crew or maybe a kite surfer if they’re feeling heroic. The wind and tide window might be there, but the size is just insane.

Later that same Saturday afternoon, things calm down a bit. The wind swings to the ESE at 9 mph, going cross-off. The swell drops to 16 ft, still from the E with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is still strong at 10316, but the wind is much lighter and the description says "clean." This is the only window in the whole 16 days where the wind is favorable. For an advanced surfer at Kohala Lighthouse, this afternoon is the absolute standout. It’s going to be a big, powerful, grinding reef wave. The water temp is 80°, which is about average for this time of year.

After that, the trades come back with a vengeance. From Sunday the 16th through to the end of the window on the 23rd, it’s back to the same story: fresh to strong breeze, cross-shore, and short-period swell. The size is 5 ft to 7 ft, and the energy is moderate (between 193 and 541), but the wind never relents, keeping it lumpy and poor. The 19th of August morning shows a light breeze and a score of 1, but it’s still a cross-onshore direction and the swell is tiny at 5 ft with a 7-second period.

So, to sum it up: we have a long stretch of poor, wind-affected surf until the 15th. The 15th of August is the only real event, and it’s a monster. Saturday afternoon is the best bet if you’re an expert, but it’s still a beast. The rest is a write-off. Don’t hold your breath on the forecasts changing much for the second week; it looks like the trades are locked in.

Rusty.

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